If you’re thinking about doing something as messy as commercial scale worm farming, make sure you do your research before you jump in. In fact, when it comes to worm farming, there have been many scams — typically involving a company selling worms to you and guaranteeing that they will buy them back (but then they don’t if there is not enough demand, and often cases there is not enough demand). First of all let me reassure you, I don’t have any worms to sell you. I’m not an affiliate for selling worms. I’m writing about my own adventures in worm farming and research I’m doing. Anyways, my point is this: herein lies the problem of going horizontal with a particular endeavor, or that is only focusing on one little aspect of a much larger picture.

People set off to farm worms with the only goal of being to sell worms to people, or to sell fertilizer (vermicompost) to people. That is totally NOT the way to think about it. Why? First of all, it makes you a salesman. You have to go out and sell yourself to other people in order to establish relationships, where those clients will buy your worms. Ditto with the fertilizer. Hold a minute, step back — examine this situation a moment.

Are you a good salesman? You are? Why sell worms then? There’s a million things for you to sell and make good money, and you don’t even have to get your fingers dirty. Car salesmen make great money. What about selling RV’s? Heck you sell 2 of those a year you can probably sleep the rest of the days each year. My point is this — realize what you’re doing, you’re making yourself a salesman. Make sure you are a very good salesman, and make sure you’re selling the right product — because if I really felt like being a salesman — worms would be the last thing I’d want to go out trying to hock (even though I enjoy raising worms). Not to mention the fact that I don’t like the idea of being a salesman.

Ok back on topic — commercial scale worm farming. Selling worms to other people, in my opinion, may be a side benefit, and you’re fine if you do it — and fine if you don’t. Selling vermicompost should also be a side benefit. I know what you’re thinking — “If you’re raising worms, and you’re not selling the worms, and you’re not selling the vermicompost, what is the purpose?” Ah, glad you asked.

Before I answer that, let me tell you about this massive worm farmer operation I’ve been researching — and (in my opinion) what they’re doing wrong. Read this article at the Rodale Institute about a huge Georgia worm farmer. I’ll give you a summary — he primarily sells worms to fish and bait shops, and he makes fairly good money doing it. On the other hand, he barely does anything with the vermicompost. Here is a quote from the article:

“You don’t see castings in big stores because they are expensive and most people don’t understand their value compared to traditional fertilizers,” he explains. “The other problem is it takes a relatively long time to make castings and so the supply is not there to meet the demand.”

As a result, this farmer is primarily sitting on all his worm castings, doing nothing with them except considering them a retirement plan. Someday, somehow in the future — maybe he’ll be able to sell these castings, but for now he has no idea what to do with them. The problem with them primarily is that people don’t know the benefit of them, so there isn’t a demand for it. There is no way to sell to the market unless you educate potential buyers. (By the way, if you’re going to be educating potential buyers, then you’re not only a salesman, you’re also a teacher.)

Now, what do I personally think he should do? Let me hint on it by quoting this farmer again:

The most opportune markets for vermicomposting, he says, are Ma and Pa nurseries, garden supply stores, greenhouses, flower shops, and organic farmers. But vermicomposting is still a relatively new practice in much of the United States.

To me, its infinitely obvious. Why not start a ma and pa nursery? Why not start a greenhouse? Why not start to grow flowers and wholesale them to flower shops? Why not be an organic farmer. Question — will your company have a significant advantage if you don’t have to pay for fertilizer, ever? Heck yeah.

This farmer in Georgia estimates he has (drum roll please) 2500 TONS of worm castings (accumulated over the last 10 years). In my opinion, this guy could start his own greenhouses on such a massive scale, that they would dwarf his sales of worms. This is what I’m talking about when I mention vertical farming.

If this farmer would do this himself, what is the advantage?

• Free fertilizer. Never have to buy any, ever.
• Skip being a salesman. Never have to sell vermicompost to anyone.
• Skip being an educator. Never have to educate others on the benefits of vermicompost.
• More highly profitable businesses. It is assumed that a greenhouse would turn a profit, even if you had to buy fertilizer. The fact that you don’t
  virtually guarantees the success of this venture.

What about having to be a salesman for the produce of the greenhouse? Ok, ya got me. You will have to sell a little bit, but I’ll tell you this much. I’d rather try to sell green, healthy heads of lettuce than worm poop. I’m thinking they would sell a whole lot better.

What am I going to do with my worm batch? (I’m guessing I have somewhere around two pounds of red wigglers by now). By the time they’ve bred to a sizable mass, I’ll perhaps feed them to fish, or chickens. If there is a market, I’ll sell the worms locally to fishers. I will use the vermicompost myself. I’ll grow all the produce my family needs and if there is extra, I’ll sell to friends and family. Finally, when my produce exceeds that volume, I’ll scope out local vendors and wholesale produce to them. There are many, many options when you’re a vertical farmer.